Connected in The Word 9-29-25
Then he said to his disciples, “It is impossible for stumbling blocks not to come; nevertheless, woe through whom they come.” Luke 17:1
In northern Illinois it is impossible for potholes not to appear. The freezing and thawing that takes place in a climate that can see temperatures soar to 100 degrees and sink to -25 degrees can create potholes big enough to swallow up a small car. When driving, we do all we can to avoid potholes, because we know that potholes are just a part of life in northern Illinois.
But what if there were people who purposely went out at night and created potholes? These people would essentially be setting traps for unexpecting drivers. We know we must live with potholes in northern Illinois, but we would have no patience for people who would purposely create potholes, traps, or stumbling blocks for drivers.
There are several ways to correctly translate the verse above from the original Greek, but the translation above is the most precise. Often our Lord’s words are translated as, “Temptations to sin are bound to come…”, again this is a fine translation but the word “σκάνδαλον” literally means “stumbling block or snare”. I think the imagery of a stumbling block or a snare paints a perfect picture of what happens when someone tempts another to sin. In a broken world we know that stumbling blocks and temptations to sin are bound to come because this is a broken world. But woe to the people who set the snares and lay down stumbling blocks that cause people to sin. So, avoid the potholes and stumbling blocks of life, and please make sure you are not creating potholes and stumbling blocks for others.
Read more devotions online at https://connectedintheword.beehiiv.com/